Snap-action valve for flush tanks and the like



A g 1927 H. c. EUsTss ySNAP ACTION VALVE FOR FLUSH TANKS AND THE LIKE Filed May a, 192e Wir TTORMEK Patented Aug. 2, 1922K?.`r

inurture.ntrs'rrs, or LOS'ANGELES, vcamroluvni.L

i f SNAP-ACTION VALVE ronrLUsH'rwANxs ANDTHEKLIXB." y

I i Applicationy yfiled May 8,

y AThe present invention relates to ball cocks by yacla'iating means.'

for llush tanks and to other automatic valves which are gradually moved Ito closed position Indevices', of this class an objectionable as the valve is nearing closed position. Such chattering is apparent-ly due to the fact that y the valve, ywhen very close to closed position,

4is thrown forcibly to itsseat by passingfluid and when the flow' ot lluid is stopped by n closing ofthe valve the latter rebounds from resulting .inobjectionable noises.

itsseat andthe operationis againrepeated.

Suchv cycle ot' movements on ythe part of they valve isrepeated several times per second, Y n

- there is provided a suitable seatl. The

Another cause for such noise is ythat of ythe rwire-drawing oi" the fluid through avery small opening between thegvalve and its seat. In the caseoi: usual float controlled valves, the `float rises slowly and steadily, positively movingthe `valve toclosed position but never allowing it to close except gradually.

One ot the principal objects of the invention is to provide a valvek of the class described, on which the valveproper, when in close proximity to the seat, iscaused to be moved suddently to the seat Without tend` ency to rebound. n

Another important objectoqf the invention `is toy provide a device of rthe classdet scribed in which thek valve isfretarded at all y embodiment.

times so that sudden movement or frequent reversal of movement prevented. Another object of the inventionisto pro- ,vide asimple and substantial device of the rclass.described,with a lview to eliminating springactuated automatic parts and the like. Still f, other objects and advantages otniy invention will appear hereinafter.

In k,the accompanying drawinn's I have shown myinvention applied to flush tanks, although itis conceived that my yinvention is applicable to any automatic valve `which. ordinarily is positively but slowlymoved to closed position. j y

In the said drawings; n Figure l is a view in vertical section of a flush tank to which the said embodiment of myinvention is applied. n kIigure 2 is a vertical section of the said Figure is a view insection of the lower ',partrof said embodiment. 55

l Morey specifically, the numeral 5 indicates a-valve body provided with a kfluid course 6,

kfeature resides in their tendency to chatter 192e. smal no. io'z,es2.

' terminating at 'its upperend in a horizontal portion having an outlet The bod is provided withtvvo spacedilanges,.9 an 10,

` respectively, one heilig fixed to thebody and theother being screw ythreaded onthe body, as yat 11. l i

Y l Said flanges serve `the iisual purpose ot securing the ybody' to thebottom Wall l2, of thek illush tank 1,4. Thusl ,thel body may be `disposed soth'at its lower portionl is ex mm1 to the tank, While the upper portion is internal. f

The Huid" OlirSefis intersected'by `il. liori-y n zontal bore l5 entering the Huid course at an kangle.- Justv above the, point of intersection o't the bore l5r witlrtlie'fluid, course',

fluid course, in the .present 4 embodiment, terminates at the lowereiid in a Sli htly re# duced bore 6, which is `closed `at t ye lower end by acap 17. 4 'i i- In conformity with a salientfeature of the 4 j invention, Iprovide a valve 18, having an L upper cylindrical portion 184, a similar lower r`4 portion V18, andan intermediateportion 18,

the latter being of reduced diameter. The portion 18a is provided with an inserted Washer 19 adapted to seat ony the valve seat.

The lower portion 18h is a close workingffit in thebore 6, so that said bore' and portion 18b of the piston coact to provide a dash-pot e'llect for the valve 155.v kThe said portions yof the valve should be so disposed thatwhen the yvalve is seated, the portion 18C, ofv re# duced ydiameter is aligned with the/hori- Zontal bore 15, While the lower portion of the valve is stillwithin thebore, l 'i rIt will beap )arent now that when the valve is unseatec as shown'in `Fig. 3, water rushingaround fthe upper portion of Vthe valve, and through the seat, will have a tendency to force the valve to its seat, andfwill y y yto a fulcrum member 24, such construction being common totlush tank valves. Y

In conformity with another salientfeature oi" by invention, the upperl end'wof thek vstem is attached by a pin 25, for example, to a slotted yoke 26. The slot 26 of the yoke is enclosed at both ends and the float lever is providedV witha section 22a-wliich passes looselythrough the yoke; VSaid section 22a.. is providedwith an upper archedsurface 27, which has a bearing on the upper vmargin, 26, of the slot.Y Arsimilar lower surface 28` may bear on .the lowermargin 26? vof vthe slot. The slot is of such' length that lost motion is provided between the tloatgle'ver Y and the valve stem, or inother words, either the jvalve stem,or the float lever, may move an appreciable distance without correspond ing movement on the part ofthe'V other.v i

' "It will beunderstood that the usual Hush tank mechanismsrinclude valve controlled outlet opening (not shown) for draining the Y tank quickly, as well as other well'known herein.V i

parts not needing description or illustration Inconsidering the -operation of the flush tank mechanism as a whole, it willbe undern stood 'that when the'tank issuddenly'emp tied for flushing purposes, the float ldescends and moves the valve 18 down to thegunseated the valve, duringj this interval, acts similar to any balanced lpressure valve.

lAs the float lever moves toward horizontal o'sition, the part of the lever lwhich is withln the slotted yoke moves towardvthe'upper margin of the slot, whilethe balancedpres# sure on respective ends ofthe valve allows the valve to remain motionless. 'Finally the float lever reaches the upper margin of the slot in the yoke and continued movement resultsin the valve being raised toward its seat; vVVh'enthe valve nears the seat, the action of the water rushing through the'seat n impels the. valvequite vforcibly toward its seat. y Thedash-pot effect of thelower end i' ofthe piston prevents very sudden moveinentrof the valve toward its seat but slowly permits such movement. Then the valve is quite close tothe seat, the force 'of the water rushing through the restricted space around the upperpa-rtvot the valve suddenly overcomes the retarding eect of theV dashpot and Ythe valve snaps int-o closed position causingvthe slotted yoke to rise independently of the corresponding portion 'of' the oat lever. Thus the valve closes almost instantly. Since there is Vno positive connection at this time betweenthe float lever and the valve, there is no tendency ron the part lowed to remain closed,- and held so by rthe pressure ot' the water 'which is below the valve, andwhich would haveto be displaced Abetere the valve could descend. Therefore, chattering of the .valve is prevented and the objectionable noises common to ordinary float controlled valves, 1s overcome. When the tank is again emptied at a later time, the

' water level may drop more rapidlythanthe tloatcan ifollow,because the lower end of the valve mustdisplace any luiday which' is below itin the dash-pot* 'By' the time vthe effective 'weight of the tloatfhas become sufficient to 'open the valve against'the Huid pressure which holds it seated, the float is slightly, if at all, buoyed up by the water 80 inthe tank.,` Asa'consequence, the valve is free yto 'open rapidly, andfto move a consid-l erable distance withoutinterference onthe part-fot the float. Were it not for thelfact that the-'dash-pot ydelays lowering of the 85 float,V and they slotted yoke provides lost motion, vthe valve would immediately open when the lfloat begins descent, and the iirst inrush of water would send the valve back to its seat,'resulting'in unsteady action. 1"?

lt will'be apparent now that I have provided simple and efficient means in lioa-t'f'con` trolled valves-,for preventing unsteady action and chattering, andfor insuringfpositive opening and closing of the valve, and 05 while I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, Ido not limit myself to any specific construction and arrangement of parts, and may alter the construction and arrangement of parts as I desire,ror as occasion requires, without enlarge ing the scope ot my invention as set forth in the appendedv claim. f f l claim-: In a ioat actuated valve,l a. valve body provided with a longitudinal bore, a second bore intersecting said longitudinal bore at an an-v glegrsaid body providing a valve seat above the intersection ot said second bore,a valve member in said' Vlongitudinal bore movable 110 to open and closedpositions, respectively; comprising a lower cylindricalV member closely fitted in said longitudinal bore below said point of intersection, a reduced diameter intermediate.portion above said lower cylindrical member, and an upper cylindrical member above the intermediate portion; the lower termination ot the upper cylinder being disposed in alignment with said second bore when the valve is moved to closed position.

' HARRY C. EUSTIS 

